What’s the story?
Jay Reddick of The Orlando Sentinel recently spoke to NXT Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura at the WWE Championship belt reveal, this Wednesday. During the session, Nakamura discussed a variety of topics including his desire to perform at Wrestlemania and his NXT debut last year.
In case you didn’t know...
Nakamura has been very vocal about his desires to perform at the Show of Shows. Earlier this year, during a telephone interview with Yahoo Japan, the former NXT Champion went even a step further and picked the opponent of his choosing.
When inquired about his Mania plans, Nakamura expressed an interest in facing former WWE Champion AJ Styles! Here is what he said:
If the WrestleMania opportunity presented itself, I want to do it. AJ doesn’t have an opponent yet, I’d like to fill that spot.
However, with AJ Styles seemingly heading towards a Wrestlemania bout with SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon, WWE will have to look elsewhere if Nakamura does indeed end up making it to the Citrus Bowl.
The heart of the matter
When asked about eventually making a transition from the NXT Takeover events to WrestleMania, Nakamura took a long pause, before stating the following:
I hope. I hope. I want to go to the next [level]. If I can wrestle at WrestleMania, that’s going to be awesome. I… really… want… WrestleMania.
Nakamura also spoke about his NXT debut last year and stated that his premiere match against Sami Zayn is amongst his favourite matches in NXT because of the pressure he felt. Despite having one of the best debut matches of recent history, the King of Strong Style was worried about how the US audience would respond to him.
What’s next?
As announced on the latest episode of NXT, Shinsuke Nakamura will now challenge the winner of the Bobby Roode vs. Kassius Ohno match, for the NXT Championship at TakeOver Orlando on Saturday, April 1, at the Amway Center.
Also, according to the recent reports of Cageside Seats, fans can also expect to see the Japanese Superstar transition to the main roster, later in the year.
Sportskeeda’s Take
While he might still be a part of the so-called ‘developmental division’ of the WWE, Nakamura is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers of the modern era. The King of Strong Style boasts of being a multiple time champion in his 14-year-long career in pro wrestling and has headlined the Wrestle Kingdom which is arguably the second biggest wrestling show held annually.
While we are quite certain that he will eventually get his Wrestlemania moment, chances of it happening this year are virtually non-existent. And with Nakamura closing in on the 40-year mark, WWE should make the transition sooner rather that later.
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